WORLD

World's fastest cheetah dies

Sarah the cheetah, who shattered the world record for the standing 100-meter dash in a feat photographed by National Geographic magazine, was euthanized this week at the Cincinnati Zoo, according to the National Geographic.

At 15, Sarah's quality of life was diminishing—a cheetah's average life span is eight to twelve years.

“She lived a full life and was a phenomenal ambassador for her species,” said Linda Castaneda, lead trainer for the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program.

“She was a dynamic individual and we were privileged to know her and learn from her. We will all miss the princess cat.”

During a photo shoot in 2012, the then-11-year-old cheetah was radar-timed at up to 61 miles (98 kilometers) an hour. In a 100-meter trial, Sarah clocked a time of 5.95 seconds—making Olympian Usain Bolt's world record of 9.58 seconds look positively stodgy by comparison, according to the National Geographic.